Harry Potter and the Second Wizarding War
by Lord Cartwright
Summary: This is a look at how my other story "Harry's War" could have gone had Dumbledore and Harry been on the same page, Harry Potter/Susan Bones. WARNING this is NOT a rewrite it is just another look at how that story could have gone. Some Slightly OOC's.
1. It is time I told you everything

_AN: This is a look at how my other story _"Harry's War_" could have gone had Dumbledore and Harry been on the same page, Harry Potter/Susan Bones. __**WARNING**__ this is __**NOT**__ a rewrite it is just another look at how that story could have gone._

**It is time I told you everything**

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."_

'The slowly revolving Professor Trelawney sank back into the silver mass below and vanished. The silence within the office was absolute. Neither Dumbledore nor Harry nor any of the portraits made a sound. Even Fawkes had fallen silent.

'Professor Dumbledore?' Harry said very quietly, for Dumbledore, still staring at the pensieve, seemed completely lost in thought. "Did that mean: what did that mean?"

"It meant," said Dumbledore. "That the person who has the only chance of conquering Lord Voldemort for good was born at the end of July, nearly sixteen years ago. This boy would be born to parents who had already defied Voldemort three times." Harry felt as though something was closing in on him. His breathing seemed difficult again.

"It means me." Harry said in a thick voice as he tried to gulp back his fear at the thought of being the only wizard capable of destroying Voldemort for good.

"The odd thing, Harry." He said softly, "Is that it may not have meant you at all. Sybill's prophecy could have applied to two wizard boys, both born at the end of July that year, both of whom had parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both sets of parents having narrowly escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course, was you. The other was Neville Longbottom."

"But then: but then, why was it my name on the prophecy and not Neville's?" Harry asked with confusion in his eyes and voice.

"The official record was re-labelled after Voldemort's attack on you as a child, ' said Dumbledore. "It seemed plain to the keeper of the Hall of Prophecy that Voldemort could only have tried to kill you because he knew you to be the one to whom Sybill was referring."

"Then - it might not be me?" said Harry slight hope entering his voice.

"I am afraid" said Dumbledore slowly, looking as though every word cost him a great effort. "That there is no doubt that it is you."

"But you said - Neville was born at the end of July, too - and his mum and dad …"

"You are forgetting the next part of the prophecy, the final identifying feature of the boy who could vanquish Voldemort: Voldemort himself would mark him as his equal. And so he did, Harry. He chose you, not Neville. He gave you the scar that has proved both blessing and curse." Dumbledore explained sadly as though just telling Harry this caused him great pain.

"He might have marked the wrong person." Harry said desperation in his voice but even he knew he was grasping at straws.

"He chose the boy he thought most likely to be a danger to him" said Dumbledore. "And notice this, Harry: he chose, not the pureblood (which, according to his creed, is the only kind of wizard worth being or knowing) but the half-blood, like himself. He saw himself in you before he had ever seen you, and in marking you with that scar, he did not kill you, as he intended, but gave you powers, and a future, which have fitted you to escape him not once, but four times so far - something that neither your parents, nor Neville's parents, ever achieved."

"Why did he do it, then?' said Harry, who felt numb and cold."Why did he try and kill me as a baby? He should have waited to see whether Neville or I looked more dangerous when we were older and tried to kill whoever it was then."

"That might, indeed, have been the more practical course, ' said Dumbledore."Except that Voldemort's information about the prophecy was incomplete. The Hog's Head inn, which Sybill chose for its cheapness, has long attracted, shall we say, a more interesting clientele than the Three Broomsticks. As you and your friends found out to your cost, and I to mine that night, it is a place where it is never safe to assume you are not being overheard. Of course, I had not dreamed, when I set out to meet Sybill Trelawney, that I would hear anything worth overhearing."

"My - our - one stroke of good fortune was that the eavesdropper was detected only a short way into the prophecy and thrown from the building." Dumbledore finished before conjuring them both a glass of ice-cold water and taking a long gulp after passing a glass to Harry.

"And that's why he tricked me into going to the Ministry tonight; he only heard the first half and wanted me to retrieve the full prophecy so he could hear it in full."Harry concluded after a pause in which he finished half of his water.

"Yes." Replied Dumbledore simply before the two once more fell into silence.

"It is getting very late and if I'm to tell you everything then we best move on to another, yet similar topic." Dumbledore spoke up after glancing at his grandfather clock in one corner of his office witch read half past midnight.

"Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?" Dumbledore asked Harry when the lad looked back to him.

"No sir." Harry answered with a shake of his head.

"I didn't really think you had but I thought it best to ask just in-case." Dumbledore said. "A Horcrux is an object used to store part of a person's soul so that in the event that the body of the user who creates the Horcrux is destroyed, the user still has a means of surviving, this method was chosen by Voldemort to attain immortality." He finished quietly.

"Immortality? You mean to tell me that Voldemort is in fact immortal?" Harry asked in shock as he stared at the Headmaster wide-eyed.

"Yes but all is not lost." Dumbledore said with confidence in his voice.

"All is not lost he says. The bitch is immortal." Harry said looking at Dumbledore as if he was senile.

"The Bitch? I don't think anyone has ever referred to the Dark Lord Voldemort as a bitch." Dumbledore chuckled as some of the twinkle ignited in his eyes once more.

"Well he is a bitch." Harry replied with a slight smirk as he pushed the nights events to the back of his mind for the time been.

"Anyway, that aside, the good thing about Horcruxes is that they can be destroyed." Dumbledore explained to the visible relief of Harry.

"I see what you meant when you said all is not lost." Harry nodded as Dumbledore gave a slight smile.

"So, any idea how many he made?" Harry asked after a moment's silence.

"I am not one hundred percent sure but I believe Voldemort to have created a total of six Horcruxes." Dumbledore answered with a light smile wondering how long it would take Harry to figure it out.

"Tom Riddle's diary was one wasn't it?" Harry asked almost immediately surprising the old headmaster.

"Very good, the diary was indeed a Horcrux and thanks to you bringing it to me is what confirmed to me that Voldemort had in-fact used the method of Horcruxes to gain immortality." Dumbledore explained with a smile.

"Good job I thought to bring it with me that night then." Harry chuckled slightly.

"Indeed my boy, very good." Dumbledore smiled. "And I also have more good news on that front; I'm very close to discovering another hiding place that I believe contains a Horcrux inside."

"Good, good, do you know what they are; I'm assuming they aren't empty pop cans." Harry asked a moment later.

"I have I few ideas as to what they are that I shall share with you over the summer but we have a few more things to discuss before the sun rises." Dumbledore explained with a glance towards the clock.

"Fair enough." Agreed Harry after also looking at the clock and seeing that it was five past one in the morning.

"Now moving on. During the last year Sirius managed to write out a will at Gringott's." Dumbledore spoke softly and he noticed that Harry's eyes misted over slightly as he tried to hold back his emotions.

"Go on." Harry spoke in a thick voice once more.

"I witnessed the will and agreed to one of the things he put into his will." Dumbledore began before pausing for a moment. "In his will, Sirius, as your magical guardian made arrangements for you to become an emancipated minor should he die before you reached your 17th birthday."

"Emancipated minor, so that I'm legally considered an adult now?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yes or you will be once Sirius's will has been read and you have signed the necessary paperwork." Dumbledore informed him with a slight smile knowing that Harry would figure out the best thing that that meant for him very quickly.

"That means I can leave the Dursley's and perform magic during the summer." Harry smiled a shark's smile at the thought.

"Yes, however, we will need to find a suitable place for you to stay at over the summer." Dumbledore replied with a smile. "I think I'm correct in saying you do not wish to return to Grimmauld Place."

"Yes sir, I would rather not return there if at all possible." Harry replied softly.

"Since there is another eight days of term left I will have to get looking for some place soon then." Dumbledore smiled.

"Why not just buy a house out in the middle of nowhere and put as many wards over the place as possible." Harry suggested after a moment's thought. "If we split the cost of the property, I could use it during the summer and the Order could use it as a safe house while I'm at school if need be."

"An excellent idea Harry." Dumbledore smiled at him. "Having an extra safe house ready will be most welcome should the first safe house become unsafe."

"Yes and it does not need to be huge, three or four bedrooms with bunk beds could easily house up to sixteen people." Harry said with excitement at the fact that he had just contributed a useful idea to the Order.

"Yes and putting a few of those wonderful Muggle sofa-beds in the longue could accommodate a few more persons." Dumbledore smiled at successfully distracting Harry from the night's events for a little while longer.

"We'll need a bloody big kitchen then." Harry laughed as Dumbledore chuckled and nodded in agreement with him.

"We will use a few expansion charms to enlarge the kitchen and put in a few more bathrooms" Dumbledore said a moment later.

"Can I Join?" Harry asked after a moment in which he plucked up the courage to ask.

"Join What?" Dumbledore asked knowing exactly what Harry was asking but wanting the lad to ask him properly as shyness and hesitating would not get you very far in the Order.

"Can I join the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry asked without missing a beat.

"Yes I believe so; you have after-all done much in the struggle against Voldemort." Dumbledore replied without hesitation.

"Thank you sir." Harry said to which Dumbledore just tilted his head. "And will you help me get stronger and ready for my final fight with Tom?" He asked quietly finally acknowledging he could not win this fight alone.

"Yes I shall begin helping you at the start of your sixth year." Dumbledore began slowly. "However, over the summer I want you to at least double your offensive and defensive spell arsenal."

"Yes sir." Harry replied with a small smile knowing he would have his work cut out for him this summer as he already knew a lot of spells in combat as it is.

"_Spells every duellist needs in his/her arsenal_ is a good book to start with." Dumbledore said with a smile to which Harry nodded his understanding.

"Now it really is very late so off to bed with you." Dumbledore said with a smile as he handed Harry a small veil of purple potion.

"Dreamless Sleep Potion." Harry said with a grateful smile as he stood up and took the potion from his headmaster.

"Yes, enough for a good solid 12 hours sleep." Dumbledore nodded knowing that Harry needed it after every that had happened and everything they had discussed.

"Thank you sir, goodnight." Harry said before he turned and left the office for a well deserved and overdue sleep.

"What are your thoughts Severus?" Dumbledore asked the seemingly empty office when he was sure Harry was gone. Out of seemingly thin air, potions master Severus Snape appeared sat in a chair besides the fireplace.

"I think that if he keeps the attitude he showed after you told him about the Prophecy then yes we may stand a chance of winning this war." Snape replied as he got up from his chair and went to the cabinet that housed the headmaster's pensieve.

"I'll have a double." Dumbledore said as Snape opened his liquor side of the cabinet. "And what makes you say that?" He asked referring to Snape's thoughts.

"Well I did a few surface scans of his mind and the one thing that stood out to me is that he thought and I quote `if the bastard is going to take me down then I'm going to do everything in my power to take him with me." Snape explained as he walked over to the headmaster's desk and handed him a double brandy before taking a seat in the chair Harry had just vacated moments before.

"Well hopefully it will not come to that." Dumbledore said as he took a gulp of his drink.

"I think we are going to see a real change in Potter in the coming months." Snape mused as he took a swig of his own drink.

"Yes I believe you may be correct there." Dumbledore nodded as he finished off his drink. "How did Voldemort take tonight's latest setback?" he asked once Snape had also finished his drink.

"His usual shouting and throwing Crucio's around like sweets." Snape scoffed as he put his glass down. "The idiot seemed to forget that the whole thing was his big idea."

"And what of his thoughts on Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a slight chuckle at the Dark Lord's predictable reaction.

"He seems to think that Potter is becoming far too powerful." Snape answered simply as he relaxed back into his chair.

"Becoming too powerful, Harry has hardly even scratched the surface of his power yet, he'll be coming into his magical maturity this summer." Dumbledore mused quietly.

"That's what he means, beating him in a struggle at age 11, killing a basilisk at age 12, driving off a hundred plus Dementors with a full corporal Patronus at 13, winning the tri-wizard at 14 and escaping from him and thirty Death Eaters on the same night and now he's just walked into battle against twelve of his best Death Eaters and walked away almost unharmed and he has not even reached his magical maturity yet. So yes the Dark Lord is a little concerned about Potter." Snape explained all this with a huge smirk on his face as he thought about all the problems the Dark Lord was going to have and all the problems he'd already had with Potter.

"Ah well when you put it like that I see your point or rather Voldemort's" Dumbledore smiled as he too relaxed back into his chair. "I wonder what his reaction would be if he were to learn that Harry was learning duelling from Alastor over the summer and then been trained by me in his sixth year." He mused with his own smirk on his face.

"He'll probably develop a twitch of his eye or something." Snorted Snape with a real actual smile on his face that would have sent the students into a state of shock had they seen it.

"Ah then I must ask Harry and Alastor their thoughts on a little duelling training over the summer months." Dumbledore smiled knowing that not only would Mad-eye be able to help prepare Harry but it would also annoy and maybe even make Voldemort weary about facing Harry.

"Why just Potter, why not the whole Order?" Snape asked after a minute's silence. "A little duelling practice can't hurt us and may give us the edge in the long run in this war." He finished with a nod at his idea.

"A most excellent idea Severus." Dumbledore nodded back with a smile. I shall bring it up at the next meeting but for now I shall bid you goodnight as I'm rather tired." He said while stifling a yawn.

"Very well headmaster, goodnight." Snape said with a nod of his head as he rose from his chair and made his way towards the fireplace.

"Oh and Severus." Dumbledore called as Snape took a pinch of Floo-powder.

"Headmaster?" Snape asked without turning round.

"If Voldemort should develop a twitch when you inform him about Harry's possible duelling training with Alastor I want to see a copy of your memory in my pensieve." Dumbledore informed him as he stood from his desk.

"Of course headmaster." Snape replied with a snort before he vanished into the bright green flames back to his office.

End of chapter

_AN: what do you think so far? Please review. _


	2. Attacks and New house guests

_AN: Too those who have reviewed, I thank you, to those who have yet to review, please do._

**Attacks and New house guests**

"What is it Auntie?" Susan Bones asked as she entered the living room of her family home. Susan Bones had bright blue eyes framed by an oval face with a clear complexion. Her hair was a silky mass of auburn usually in a braid that ran halfway down her back. Her 5"6 body was slender with curves in all the right places and she almost always had a slight smile on her full lips.

"It appears that Minister Fudge has lost the no confidence vote." Amelia Bones smiled as she gestured for Susan to take a seat.

"He lost." Susan said in surprise as she took a seat on the sofa across from her auntie. "The way he has been talking lately he was going to win with flying colours." She remarked referring to the articles in the Daily Prophet.

"Yes but he was saying all that because he was banking on Harry Potter forgiving him for how he treated him this last year and telling the Wizengamot and the public that Fudge had his full confidence." Amelia explained with wide smile.

"What happened?" Susan asked with a smile knowing that when Harry Potter was involved fireworks were bound to have gone off.

"Oh Potter turned up alright, and when asked to give his opinion on Fudge and his running off the Ministry, he stood up, looked Fudge in the eye and said that the man is an incompetent fool who he would not trust to run a tap properly let-a-lone the Ministry of Magic." Amelia laughed along with Susan.

"What was Fudge's reaction to that?" Susan asked when she had got her laughing fit under control.

"He stood there gaping like a fish out of water while the most of the Wizengamot and the rest of the Ministry workers laughed at him." Amelia chuckled as Susan smiled at the guts of Harry Potter.

"We will be reconvening tomorrow to select a temporary replacement until a full vote can be held and thanks to Potter, I' am now the leading candidate to replace Fudge." Amelia spoke a few moments later.

"What did Harry do?" Susan asked with a smile.

"He walked up to me, shook my hand and said very loudly that he hopes I will be running for Minister as I would have his full confidence and support and that he would be the first to vote for me." Amelia answered with a smile.

"Only Harry Potter could remove one Minister and all but select the next one with nothing but his words." Susan smiled back at her auntie.

The conversation turned to more pleasant topics as the evening turned into the night, like what Susan planned to do this summer. Visiting her best friend Hannah Abbott was a given and the two planned to spend a day Muggle shopping as only teen girls do. The two were about to retire for the night when there was a very loud ringing throughout the house.

"The wards, someone is attacking the wards." Amelia shouted as she sprang from her seat, Susan following her. "Susan, get on the Floo and contact Auror headquarters." She instructed her niece as she activated the wards to full power to keep out whoever it was attacking them.

"_Incendio_." Susan cried pointing her wand at the fireplace. "Auror headquarters." She shouted before throwing the Floo-powder into the flames, however instead of turning the bright green as she expected the flames stayed orange.

"The Floo's not working." Susan informed her aunt who was throwing all the defensive wards she could at the door and wall leading out into the garden.

"A Floo-jamming jinx, whoever's out there must be very powerful." Amelia said in a calm voice as her years of Auror training kicking in. "Shit I can't Apparate out either." She ran to the sofa and picked up a cushion, before pointing her wand at it and muttering the "_Portus_." Spell at it but too her horror nothing happened when she tried to activate it.

"It's _him_ out there isn't it?" Susan asked not having to explain just who he was.

"Yes I'm afraid that it is." Amelia agreed knowing just who _he_ was; Lord Voldemort had come for the last of the Bones family, nobody else, who would attack them was powerful enough to jam the Floo and block Port-keys and Appartating all at once.

"Well if Harry Potter taught me anything in the DA, then it's, if you're going to go down take as many of the bastards with you as you can manage." Susan steeled herself for her first and most likely only fight in the war against Lord Voldemort, she refused to call him You-Know-Who.

"Smart that Potter." Amelia said grimly before going silent for a moment as she thought her message. "_Expecto Patronum_." Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE fired off her only hope of getting help before it was too late.

"_Accio_ DA coin." Susan shouted as she pointed her wand towards the door leading to the stairs as her aunt stiffened for a moment.

"They've breached the outer-wards, only the inner-wards protecting us now." Amelia informed Susan who had just caught a coin that looked like a Galleon and was now squeezing it for all she was worth.

"Harry gave us all coins for when he would set DA meeting times, hopefully someone will see the message and send help." Susan explained to her aunt's raised eyebrow, Amelia just nodded.

"Susan I'm giving you permission to use any lethal spells you know." Amelia said as she waived her wand at the sofa turning it on its side and placing it into the middle of the living room before dragging Susan over and behind it for cover.

"They have breached the inner wards." Amelia spoke moments later as she prepared to fight. "No matter what happens' Susan, I want you to know that I love you." She said speaking what she knew to be, but sincerely hoped were not her last words to her niece.

"I love you too auntie." Susan said as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves to no avail.

_**BOOM**_! Without warning the doors leading to the garden was blown inwards sending glass, stone and wood flying into the living room, luckily missing Amelia and Susan who were hiding behind the overturned sofa.

"Ah Amelia Bones, so nice of you to welcome me into your humble home." The high cold tones of Lord Voldemort came through the dust surrounding the huge gaping hole in the wall that had seconds before had been a double door.

"You're not welcome here you bastard." Amelia shouted back as she fired a blasting hex into the dust; the spell must have missed as there was no grunt of pain or any sound of a body hitting the floor.

"Now, now is that anyway for a host to speak to her guests." Mocked Voldemort as Susan ducked back behind the sofa as a purple flame came shooting at her before she could fire her own spell.

"_C__onjuro__L__eo__." "Conjuro Lupum."_ Amelia whispered pointing her wand at two ornaments in front of the fireplace transfiguring them into a wolf and lion before setting them too attacking the intruders. She was rewarded with a scream of surprise before the scream turned to gurgling as the Death Eater's throat was ripped open, seconds later there were two yelping noises as someone killed the lion and wolf but they did the job of taking out a Death Eater and making the others weary about entering further.

"_Incendio_." Susan shot the fire spell into the quickly settling dust. "Auntie, create more dust so they can't see us." She whispered to her aunt after ducking back down.

"_Wingardium Leviosa." "Reducto Maxima."_ Amelia levitated the stone and wood that had been blasted into the room in a pile before sending a blasting hex at the pile sending shards of wood and stone out through the hole and creating more dust to cover their movements.

"_Bombarda maxima_." Susan whispered as she popped up from behind the sofa as Amelia waived her wand at the glass before sending it flying out through the hole. For some reason the Death Eaters were not just storming into the living room, maybe they had finally wised up that people could set traps for them or maybe they had walked right into a trap and lost comrades.

Susan and Amelia quickly ducked down behind the sofa as twin jets of sickly green light shot through the dust. They returned fire with a piercing hex and fire spell respectively.

"Enough of this." Snarled Voldemort who had obviously lost what little patience he had in him. The next thing Susan and Amelia saw was the tall, thin figure of the Dark Lord striding through the hole in their living room wall.

"Come on out and face me like the Auror you're famous for being Amelia Bones." Voldemort hissed as he dropped into a duelling stance. It seemed that there would be no offers to join him this night.

"Stay here." Amelia whispered to Susan before she stood up and came out from behind the sofa to face Voldemort with her back straight, standing tall like the warrior that she was.

"Good girl." Hissed Voldemort as he glared at the witch in front of him.

"Let Susan go, she has nothing to do with this." Amelia pleaded for the life of her niece to be spared but she knew it was useless.

"I'll think about it." Voldemort sneered mockingly meaning neither of the two Bones would walk away alive. "Now Amelia Bones bow to death."

"_Cerebrum_ _Frangat_." Amelia fired the skull crushing spell at the Dark Lord in response. She was dismayed to see Voldemort bat it aside like a bothersome fly.

"_Sectumsempra_." Voldemort returned fire with a dark cutting curse instead of the killing curse Amelia was expecting. It seemed that Voldemort was in no hurry to kill them.

"_C__ontra__A__tra_." Amelia quickly raised one of the more powerful shield charms to protect her from the cutting curse, and even then with the power behind the spell her shield shattered as she was forced to back up a step.

"_A__qua__ F__erventi_." Amelia unleashed a jet of boiling water from her wand at the Dark Lord's face; however Voldemort easily blocked it before sending his own back at her which Amelia blocked. It seemed that Voldemort was toying with her.

"_Avada Kedavra_." Shouted Susan as she sprang up from behind the sofa. However, the would-be killing curse that came out of her wand was very weak and dissipated before it reached even halfway towards Voldemort who began cackling with laughter.

"A nice first try little one but let me show you how it's really done." Voldemort cackled before pointing his wand at Susan. "_Avada Kedavra_." The sickly green jet jumped from Voldemort's wand and shot at Susan who had enough presence of mind to dive behind the sofa before the curse could hit her.

"_Cruore Fervet_." Amelia tried to catch Voldemort off guard with a blood boiling curse but the Dark Lord was more than ready for it as he blocked her curse.

"_Confringo." "Imperio." "Crucio."_ It seemed that Voldemort was growing bored of toying with her as his wand fired a chain of spells and it was only Amelia's Auror training that allowed her to shield against the blasting hex before levitating a chunk of stone in front of the mind control spell before dodging the torture curse.

"_Avada Kedavra."_ Amelia fired the killing curse at the Dark Lord who side-stepped it before retuning with one of his own that missed her by inches.

"_Expelliarmus_." Voldemort shouted completely switching gears and catching Amelia off guard. "No wonder Potter is so fond of that curse." He laughed as he watched Amelia's wand be ripped from her fingers and go flying out of reach.

"_Depulso_." Voldemort's Banishing Charm caught Amelia full in the chest sending her flying backwards into the sofa that Susan hid behind before she slid to the floor.

"_Crucio_." Voldemort spat as he advanced further into the room followed by around twenty Death Eaters who had been waiting outside.

Behind the sofa, Susan covered her ears in a vain attempt to block out her aunts agonizing screams. However, it was not to be as moments later a large pair of hands grabbed her arms and dragged her over the sofa and into the middle of the living room, dropping her beside her aunt.

"_Crucio_." Voldemort now turned his wand on Susan causing her to scream in agonizing pain as her aunt lay besides her panting after her own torture.

"You see what you get for thinking you could defy me." Voldemort hissed as he ended the torture curse on Susan and glared at the last two Bones women. He did not seem to notice that his wards preventing Apparition and Port-keys had just fallen as he turned his wand back towards Amelia.

"_Avada_." Voldemort began. However, there was a loud crack throughout the living room and a figure appeared between Voldemort and the downed Amelia before he could finish his spell.

"_Confringo Maxima_." The figure roared catching Voldemort completely unprepared as he was hit full in the chest and blasted into a Death Eater behind him and out through the large hole in the wall. The Death Eaters were completely unprepared for another fifteen witches and wizards to suddenly appear before them. Suddenly the medium size living room became a battle ground as the arriving Order of the phoenix members engaged the Death Eaters, forcing them back out onto the grounds.

"Come on." The figure who had appeared first and blasted Voldemort outside said as he bent down to help Susan and Amelia back to their feet.

"Harry." Susan gasped in surprise and relief as she looked up at their saviour. There standing in front of her was the Boy-Who-lived Harry James Potter himself.

"You said you needed help." Harry smiled as he held up his DA coin. Before anyone could say anything further there were more cracks throughout the living room. Fred and George Weasley appeared along with Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell.

"We heard Ms. Bones was under attack." Fred or George explained their surprise arrival to Harry with a grin (He was holding up his own DA coin). Harry nodded towards the gaping hole where spells could be seen flying back and forth.

"Dumbledore and the order are outside." Harry grinned as the twins led the others out into battle with a war cry and wands raised, only the Weasley Twins could make going into battle look funny.

"Madam Bones, might I suggest you get Susan too the Ministry and safety while we clean up the rest of the scum out there." Harry suggested to Amelia as she went to retrieve her wand and no doubt try to join the fighting out on her front lawn.

"Yes you're right." Amelia agreed after a moment thinking about it, no doubt she wanted to go help fight the Death Eaters but Harry had played on her weakness of protecting Susan as he did not wish to see a Minister for Magic who would do her job right die trying to battle the Death Eaters nor did he wish to lose another classmate in Susan either.

"Thank you for coming Harry." Susan smiled gratefully at Harry as Amelia took hold of her arm.

"All a part of the service." Harry winked at her before Amelia Apparated them away. He turned and ran out the hole in the wall to join the battle. Looking out over the lawn he could see Voldemort and Dumbledore once more locked in battle while Kingsley and Moody double teamed Bellatrix Lestrange in a duel, while the rest of the Order and the six DA members battled against the twenty or so Death Eaters.

"_Reducto_." Harry spat at the nearest Death Eater catching them in the shoulder sending him/her stumbling forward and into the path of Katie Bell's stunning curse.

"Potter." Came the smooth voice of Severus Snape from Harry's right causing the teen to turn towards his potions professor who was dressed in full Death Eater garb, However Snape winked at him through his mask and Harry nodded back understanding that this would be a friendly duel too keep up appearances to the other Death Eaters and Voldemort and protect Snape's status as a spy.

"_Stupefy_." Harry intoed firing the stunning spell directly at his professor knowing the man was more than capable of defending against it, which he did batting it to one side.

"_Petrificus Totalus_." Snape fired back inwardly relishing at been able to fire curses at Harry even if it was really practise for them both, well for Harry anyway.

"_Protego_." Harry blocked the jinx easily. "_Impedimenta_." The duel between Harry and Snape slowly picked up speed yet neither one used anything more powerful than a fifth year spell.

Harry and Snape's duel hardly lasted five minutes before there were more popping sounds and the Auror's _finally_ arrived on the scene.

"RETREAT." Voldemort screamed at his followers before he vanished into the night along with his Death Eaters.

"Not bad Potter." Snape said with a nod of his head.

"Thank you sir." Harry smiled with his own nod before Snape Apparated away following the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. He turned towards the Order and Auror's.

"Nice duel Harry." Fred and George said in unison as he came upon them.

"It was Snape; it was just practice for me while keeping his cover up." Harry explained with a grin as they watched Dumbledore explain the situation to head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour.

"His cover." Katie Bell asked with confusion on her face.

"Yeah, he's a spy for our side." Harry whispered back with a slight grin.

"Why are you whispering?" Angelina Johnson asked in a whisper.

"Because you never know where there might be a Death Eater spy." Harry whispered back gesturing towards the Auror's who were now getting statements from the Order members.

"Good point." Nodded Lee Jordan. Once they had all given their own statements to the Auror's, Harry walked across the lawn towards his Headmaster.

"Ah Harry, very well done on catching Tom by surprise and sending him out to me." Dumbledore praised Harry with a large smile.

"Thank you sir, it was almost a release to curse Tommy-boy for a change instead of him cursing me." Harry smiled back causing the headmaster to chuckle.

"Yes I imagine it was who was the Death Eater you were duelling with?" Dumbledore asked with twinkling eyes as he saw that Harry was completely unhurt after quickly looking the lad over.

"Professor Snape." Harry answered with a smile to which Dumbledore nodded.

"Ah Severus was keeping up appearances." Dumbledore smiled widely at Harry. "I'm very glad the two of you agreed to put aside you're differences for the war."

"Did we manage to capture any?" Harry asked him after a moment's pause.

"Unfortunately not, whenever an Order member managed to stun a Death Eater, they would vanish before they even hit the ground." Dumbledore explained with rueful shake of his head.

"Port-keys designed to activate when the Death Eater is knocked out, cleaver, maybe the Order should use them." Harry commented thinking of how useful they would be in battle.

"Yes I was just thinking the same thing." Dumbledore agreed before they both fell silent watching the Order and Auror's checking the grounds and house for any lingering Death Eaters.

"The area is clean Albus." Remus Lupin informed Dumbledore five minutes later.

"I didn't really expect any of them to linger." Dumbledore replied with a smile to which Lupin nodded.

"Alright Harry?" Lupin smiled at Harry as he noticed the bright sparkle in Harry's eyes, no doubt excited at his first real mission with the Order and a successful one at that.

"Absolutely splendid Moony old boy." Harry replied with that crooked grin of his reminding Remus of James saying something similar after a battle in the first war, the only difference was that James had been getting a deep cut in his back tended to at the time.

"Well Harry and I are going to head to the Ministry if everything here is under control." Dumbledore spoke up moments later.

"We are?" Harry asked in slight surprise.

"Yes I thought we would offer the Bones women some temporary accommodation until they can get their home repaired." Dumbledore explained with his eyes giving a full blown twinkle and a large smile on his face.

"Fair enough." Harry shrugged completely missing the meaning behind Dumbledore's smile, Remus however, didn't.

"Maybe you could ask the lovely Ms. Bones on a date." Remus teased with a grin.

"I will when you finally ask Tonks out." Harry teased back with his own grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Replied a lightly blushing Remus.

"Riiight and you didn't stare at her at the last two Order meetings." Harry replied sarcastically.

"Shut up Potter." Remus muttered before walking away with a bright red face as Harry laughed and Dumbledore chuckled at the two.

"Ready Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"Yes sir." Harry replied before popping away followed seconds later by Dumbledore. The two appeared in the Ministry Atrium before making their way towards the lifts, the security wizard just waving them by with a nod, once they had entered the lift; Dumbledore pressed the button for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (floor 2) after a short ride, the two exited the lift and made their way towards Amelia Bones' office, which they entered after knocking and being bade to do so. Upon entering they found Amelia sat behind her desk talking to Susan.

"Ah Albus, Mr Potter, come in take a seat." Amelia said with a smile as she waived her wand conjuring two more chairs for the pair.

"Thank you." The two replied as they did just that.

"What happened after we left?" Amelia asked getting right to the point.

"We managed to successfully drive back Voldemort and his Death Eaters after a five minute battle." Dumbledore replied with a smile as he conjured a tea set with four cups before he poured them all a cup.

"Any prisoners." Amelia asked after taking her tea.

"None, they had Port-keys set to activate as soon as the owner was stunned." Dumbledore replied as he took a gulp of tea.

"Oh well can't win everything, anyway I thank you and your people for the timely arrival." Amelia smiled a grateful smile as Susan murmured her own thanks.

"Ah but you should thank your wonderful niece for alerting Harry who in turn alerted the rest of the Order." Dumbledore said with a smile at the two teens.

"Thank you both." Amelia smiled at Susan and Harry who smiled back.

"Well Amelia your home will need a few repairs before you can live in it again and Harry here came up with the idea of you and Susan staying at his place until then." Dumbledore spoke up with a smile.

"I did?" Harry asked with a frown. "I'm mean I did, you'd be very welcome." He smiled a moment later wondering why Dumbledore was telling them that it was his idea and not his own.

"Thank you for the offer." Amelia began before Harry interrupted her.

"But you already have somewhere to stay." Harry interrupted with a small smile.

"No I was just going to say that would be most welcome." Amelia informed him with a smile.

"Oh right I see." Harry said feeling a little embarrassed. "Dobby." He called.

"You be calling Dobby master Harry Potter sir." Dobby the house-elf said seconds later.

"Yes, could you go to the Bones family home and collect Madam Bones' and Susan's thing they are going to be staying with us for awhile whilst their home is redecorated." Harry asked the excitable little fellow.

"Right away Harry Potter sir." Dobby said excitably before he popped away.

"Strange fellow." Amelia grinned referring to the five hats that Dobby had been wearing on his head.

"That's Dobby." Harry laughed. "Well after tonight's events I'm going home to bed, here is the secret to my home, memorize it then destroy it please." He handed a piece of Parchment to Susan who then passed it over to Amelia who set fire to it a moment later after she had read it also.

"I've got a few more things to sort out here so I'll see you both in the morning." Amelia informed them as she motioned for Susan to go with Harry.

"That's fine Madam Bones, just call for Dobby when you arrive and he will show you to the room you will be sharing with Susan." Harry said with a smile as he opened the door for Susan who smiled shyly at him as she passed.

"No problem and thank you again." Amelia said with a smile as she mused that she'd smiled quite a lot tonight in front of none family members, something she tried to avoid so she could keep up her no no-nesense appearance.

"My pleasure Madam." Harry said with a nod before bidding her and the Headmaster a goodnight. He chatted about everyday things with Susan as they walked to the lifts and then to the fireplaces in the Atrium, after Floo-ing back to his new home, Harry gave Susan a quick tour of the house before showing her to her room.

"Thank you for everything Harry." Susan said with a shy smile as she stood in the doorway to her room for the foreseeable future.

"You're welcome Susan." Harry said with a crooked grin not realising that he was turning Susan's knees to jelly. "I'm just next door if you need me, goodnight." He turned to go.

"Harry." Susan called before he could leave. "Do you think you could give me some lessons in defence, I felt so useless tonight." She looked at the floor embarrassed.

"Susan you survived an attack by Lord Voldemort you are far from useless." Harry said as he lifted he chin up to look her in the eyes. "But if you feel you need more lessons then yes, I would be happy to help." He said softly as he gazed into Susan's bright blue eyes.

"I do, thank you." Susan said as she got a vision in her mind of her saying `I do` to Harry in a _very_ different setting.

"Well goodnight Susan." Harry said breaking eye contact and heading into his own room.

"Goodnight Harry." Susan said with a sigh, she would not have said no to a goodnight kiss. Then again she supposed a lad no man like Harry Potter would not be interested in a girl like her. With another sigh she closed her door and got ready for bed, falling asleep minutes later dreaming of a messy haired, green eyed teen.

End of chapter

_AN: For those keeping score, this chapter took place three weeks into the summer after fifth year. _


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